Stages of a
Freelancing Business
Stage 2: Infancy
WAHMs: Do you
remember bringing your baby home for the first
time? It was probably both exciting and nerve
racking with more questions than answers. Is the
house safe enough? Did we remember everything?
Will I be a good mom?
A
New Business is like Caring for a New Baby
So you’ve decided
to start your business. You’ve declared yourself a
freelancer to the world, now what? Where do you
start? How do you find clients? How do you market
yourself? Where are the best resources? Are you
doing the right things?
No one will really
know the answers to your questions, except you.
You’ll find yourself researching continuously and
seeking out everyone you know who might have the one
tidbit you need to make it all make sense. The
reality is that it’s all good information, but if
you don’t stop to determine the criteria for what’s
right for you, you’ll get lost in the maze of ‘how
to advise’ and wind up taking unnecessary detours.
What is Your VPV Statement?
Your Vision,
Purpose & Values Statement is your key to focusing
your efforts and creating a solid foundation upon
which your business can grow and thrive. It will be
your guiding light when decisions need to be made,
and the inspiration for each new step you take.
1. Vision
answers the question, ‘What is the dream?’ Journal
about this until you can get it into a 10-15 word
sentence. It will see like a generalization, but
that will allow you the flexibility to express it in
a variety of ways as your business matures. Think
about it this way: as a WAHM, you know there’s a
certain spark in your child that is all their own –
no matter how old they get, it will be there. The
only thing that changes is how that spark is
expressed at different times. Your Vision Statement
is the articulation of the spark for your business.
2. Purpose
answers the question, ‘How is the vision
fulfilled?’ This is going to be 3 to 5 ways that
your vision is expressed that will remain constant
no matter what the stage of your business might be.
Again, just like your child, your business has a few
specific ways in which it will express itself most
easily. For example, I was always a writer, my son
is a talker, and my daughter is a drawer. It’s the
strongest and most effortless modes of expression.
It may also include who you’re trying to reach most
often. Statements like, ‘working with leaders and
teachers to enhance their ability to share their
wisdom through the written word’ might be a part of
your Purpose Statement.
3. Values
answers the question, ‘What does my business stand
for & how does it/I/we behave ethically?’ One of my
Values Statements for my business looks like,
‘Leadership in the World through Relationships,
Balance and Internal Integrity.’ Values are 1 or 2
word phrases that express our most inherent
beliefs. My business is more similar to my child
than me however, so I respect that although I am a
part of it, it has its own identity as well. This
statement will serve to guide me, as well as any
employees I might decide to have later. In that
way, it will keep the intention of the business on
track through time – whether I’m in it or not.
With your business
in its infancy, now is the time to spend considering
your VPV statement. It is a process that you’ll
want to explore on a regular basis. When you have
it, you’ll know. That’ll be the time when saying
‘no’ to something is just as easy as saying ‘yes’ to
it, and there’s no doubt in your mind it’s the right
choice for the health and growth of your baby
business.
